Liberman criticizes European hypocrisy

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman on Wednesday criticized European countries over their hypocrisy when it comes to Israel.

“European countries allow themselves to intervene in every internal matter in Israel, including the security of our borders, but they have no problem giving money to the ayatollah regime who puts an 18-year-old girl in prison for dancing without a head covering,” he tweeted.

“If they were a little more honest and a little less hypocritical, they would have cut off contact until the murderous regime of Khamenei and Co. is replaced,” added Liberman.

His comments refer to the case of 18-year-old Iranian gymnast Maedeh Hojabri, who was detained by Iranian authorities this week after she posted dance videos on Instagram in which she was seen without the obligatory Muslim headscarf.

Hojabri had reportedly posted around 300 videos on her account, many of which showed her dancing in both Iranian and Western styles. She explained that the purpose of these videos was to attract more followers on social media.

Iranian police have said they plan to shut down similar accounts on Instagram, and the judiciary is considering blocking access to the site, according to the report.

Iran is notorious for the limitations it imposes on freedom of expression. The country blocks access to numerous websites, including Facebook and Twitter, in order to stop Iranians from browsing content it considers immoral, or as undermining the regime.

Liberman’s tweet also comes as European countries and Iran continue to discuss ways to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal after the United States withdrew in May.